SUBARU BAJA 2006 1.G Owners Manual

11 - 4 6
Maintenance and service
Parking brake strokeParking
Brake stroke
Check the parking brake stroke according to the main-
tenance schedule in the “Warranty and Maintenance
Booklet”. When the parking brake is properly adjusted,
braking power is fully applied by pulling the lever up
seven to eight notches gently but firmly (approximately
44 lbs [196 N, 20 kg]). If the parking brake lever stroke
is not within the specified range, have the brake sys-
tem checked and adjusted at your SUBARU dealer.
Tires and wheelsTires and wheels
„ Types of tires„Tires
„ TypesYou should be familiar with type of tires present on your vehicle. TAll season tires
The factory-installed tires on your new vehicle are all
season tires.
All season tires are designed to provide an adequate
measure of traction, handling and braking perfor-
mance in year-round driving including snowy and icy
road conditions. However all season tires do not offer
as much traction performance as winter (snow) tires in
heavy or loose snow or on icy roads.
All season tires are identified by “ALL SEASON” and/
or “M+S” (Mud & Snow) on the tire sidewall. T Summer tires
Summer tires are high-speed capability tires best suit-
ed for highway driving under dry conditions.
Summer tires are inadequate for driving on slippery
roads such as on snow-covered or icy roads.
If you drive your vehicle on snow-covered or icy roads,
we strongly recommend the use of winter (snow) tires.
When installing winter tires, be sure to replace all fourtires.
UG7509CA

11 -4 7
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
TWinter (snow) tires
Winter tires are best suited for driving on snow-cov-
ered and icy roads. However winter tires do not per-
form as well as summer tire s and all season tires on
roads other than snow-covered and icy roads. „ Tire inspection
„Tire
„ InspectionCheck on a daily basis that the tires are free from se-
rious damage, nails, and stones. At the same time,
check the tires for abnormal wear.
Contact your SUBARU dealer immediately if you find
any problem.
NOTE yWhen the wheels and tires strike curbs or are
subjected to harsh treatment as when the vehicle
is driven on a rough surface, they can suffer dam-
age that cannot be seen with the naked eye. This
type of damage does not become evident until
time has passed. Try not to drive over curbs, pot-
holes or on other rough surfaces. If doing so is un-
avoidable, keep the vehicle’s speed down to a
walking pace or less, a nd approach the curbs as
squarely as possible. Also, make sure the tires are
not pressed against the curb when you park the
vehicle. y If you feel unusual vibration while driving or find it difficult to steer the vehi
cle in a straight line, one
of the tires and/or wheels may be damaged. Drive
slowly to the nearest authorized SUBARU dealer
and have the vehicle inspected. „ Tire pressures and wear
„Tire
„ Pressures and wearMaintaining the correct tire pressures helps to maxi-
mize the tires’ service lives and is essential for good
running performance. Check and, if necessary, adjust
the pressure of each tire (including the spare) at least
once a month and before any long journey.
Check the tire pressures when the tires are cold. Use
a pressure gauge to adjust the tire pressures to the
UB8053BA

11 - 4 8
Maintenance and service
values shown on the tire placard. The tire placard is lo-
cated on the door pillar on the driver’s side.
Driving even a short distance warms up the tires and
increases the tire pressures.
Also, the tire pressures
are affected by the outside temperature. It is best to
check tire pressure outdoors before driving the vehi- cle.
When a tire becomes warm, the air inside it expands,
causing the tire pressure to increase. Be careful not to
mistakenly release air from a warm tire to reduce its
pressure.
NOTE y The air pressure in a tire increases by approxi-
mately 4.3 psi (30 kPa, 0.3 kgf/cm 2
) when the tire
becomes warm. y The tires are considered cold when the vehicle
has been parked for at least three hours or has
been driven less than one mile (1.6 km).
Do not let air out of warm tires to adjust pres-
sure. Doing so will result in low tire pressure.
Incorrect tire pressures detract from controllability and
ride comfort, and they cause the tires to wear abnor- mally. y
Correct tire pressure (tread worn evenly)
Roadholding is good, and steering is responsive. Roll-
ing resistance is low, so fu el consumption is also low-
er.
HSB052AA

11 -4 9
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
yAbnormally low tire pressure (tread worn at
shoulders)
Rolling resistance is high, so fuel consumption is also
higher. y
Abnormally high tire pressure (tread worn in cen-
ter)
Ride comfort is poor. Also, the tire magnifies the ef-
fects of road-surface bumps and dips, possibly result-
ing in vehicle damage.
Driving at high speeds with excessively low tire
pressures can cause the tires to deform severe-
ly and to rapidly become hot. A sharp increase
in temperature could cause tread separation,
and destruction of the tires. The resulting loss
HSB053AAHSB054AA

11 - 5 0
Maintenance and service
of vehicle control could lead to an accident.
„ Wheel balance
„
Wheel
„ BalanceEach wheel was correctly bal anced when your vehicle
was new, but the wheels will become unbalanced as
the tires become worn during use. Wheel imbalance
causes the steering wheel to vibrate slightly at certain
vehicle speeds and detracts from the vehicle’s
straight-line stability. It can also cause steering and
suspension system problems and abnormal tire wear.
If you suspect that the wh eels are not correctly bal-
anced, have them checked and adjusted by your
SUBARU dealer. Also have them adjusted after tire re-
pairs and after tire rotation.
NOTE
Loss of correct wheel alignment* causes the tires
to wear on one side and reduces the vehicle’s run-
ning stability. Contact yo ur SUBARU dealer if you
notice abnormal tire wear.
*: The suspension system is designed to hold each wheel at
a certain alignment (relative to the other wheels and to the
road) for optimum straight-li ne stability and cornering perfor-
mance. „
Wear indicators
„
Wear indicators
A) New tread
B) Worn tread
1) Tread wear indicator
Each tire incorporates a tread wear indicator, which
becomes visible when the depth of the tread grooves
decreases to 0.063 in (1.6 mm). A tire must be re-
placed when the tread wear indicator appears as a
solid band across the tread.
When a tire’s tread wear indicator becomes vis-
A 1B
HSB055BB

11 -5 1
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
ible, the tire is worn beyond the acceptable limit
and must be replaced immediately. With a tire
in this condition, driving at high speeds in wet
weather can cause the vehicle to hydroplane.
The resulting loss of vehicle control can lead to
an accident.
NOTE For safety, in spect the tire tread regularly and re-
place the tires before their tread wear indicators
become visible. „ Tire rotation
„Tire
„ Rotation
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To maximize the
life of each tire and ensure that the tires wear uniform-
ly, it is best to rotate the tires every 7,500 miles
(12,500 km). Rotating the tires involves switching the
front and rear tires on the right-hand side of the vehicle
and similarly switching the front and rear tires on the
left-hand side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn tire at the
time of rotation. After tire ro tation, adjust the tire pres-
sures and make sure the wheel nuts are correctly
tightened.
After driving approximately 600 miles (1,000 km),
check the wheel nuts again and retighten any nut that
has become loose. „ Tire replacement
„Tire
„ ReplacementThe wheels and tires are important and integral parts
of your vehicle’s design; they cannot be changed arbi-
trarily. The tires fitted as standard equipment are opti-
mally matched to the characteristics of the vehicle and
were selected to give the best possible combination of
running performance, ride co mfort, and service life. It
is essential for every tire to have a size and construc-
tion matching those shown on the tire placard and to
have a speed symbol and load index matching those
HSB056BA

11 - 5 2
Maintenance and service
shown on the tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts from con-
trollability, ride comfort, braking performance, speed-
ometer accuracy and odometer accuracy. It also cre-
ates incorrect body-to-tire
clearances and inappropri-
ately changes the vehicle’s ground clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of manufactur-
er, brand (tread pattern), construction, and size. You
are advised to replace the ti res with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equipment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU recommends re-
placing all four tires at the same time.
y All four tires must be the same in terms of
manufacturer, brand (trea d pattern), construc-
tion, degree of wear, speed symbol, load index
and size. Mixing tires of different types, sizes or
degrees of wear can result in damage to the ve-
hicle’s power train. Use of different types or siz-
es of tires can also dangerously reduce control-
lability and braking performance and can lead
to an accident. y Use only radial tires. Do not use radial tires
together with belted bias tires and/or bias-ply tires. Doing so can dangerously reduce control-
lability, resulting in an accident.
„ Wheel replacement
„Wheel
„ ReplacementWhen replacing wheels due, for example, to damage,
make sure the replacement wheels match the specifi-
cations of the wheels that are fitted as standard equip-
ment. Replacement wheels are available from
SUBARU dealers.
Use only those wheels that are specified for
your vehicle. Wheels not meeting specifica-
tions could interfere with brake caliper opera-
tion and may cause the tires to rub against the
wheel well housing during turns. The resulting
loss of vehicle control could lead to an acci-
dent.

11 -5 3
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Aluminum wheelsAluminum wheels
Aluminum wheels can be scratched and damaged
easily. Handle them carefully to maintain their appear-
ance, performance, and safety. yWhen any of the wheels is removed and replaced
for tire rotation or to c hange a flat, always check the
tightness of the wheel nuts after driving approximately
600 miles (1,000 km). If any nut is loose, tighten it to
the specified torque. y Never apply oil to the threaded parts, wheel nuts, or
tapered surface of the wheel.y Never let the wheel rub against sharp protrusions or
curbs. y Be sure to fit tire chains on uniformly and completely
around the tire, otherwise t he chains may scratch the
wheel. y When wheel nuts, balance weights, or the center
cap is replaced, be sure to replace them with genuine
SUBARU parts designed for aluminum wheels.
Windshield washer fluidWindshield
Washer fluid
Never use engine coolant as washer fluid be-
cause it could cause paint damage.
Check the level of the washer fluid at each fuel stop. If
the level is low, fill the fluid up to the neck of the reser- voir.
Use windshield washer fluid. If windshield washer fluid
is unavailable use clean water.
In areas where water freezes in winter, use an anti-
UBB004IA

11 - 5 4
Maintenance and service
freeze type windshield washer fluid. SUBARU Wind-
shield Washer Fluid contains 58.5% methyl alcohol
and 41.5% surfactant, by volume. Its freezing temper-
ature varies according to how much it is diluted, as in-
dicated in the following table.
In order to prevent freezing of washer fluid, check the
freezing temperatures in the table above when adjust-
ing the fluid concentration
to the outside temperature.
If you fill the reservoir tank with a fluid with a different
concentration from the one used previously, purge the
old fluid from the piping between the reservoir tank
and washer nozzles by operating the washer for a cer-
tain period of time. Otherwis e, if the concentration of
the fluid remaining in the piping is too low for the out-
side temperature, it may freeze and block the nozzles.
Adjust the washer fluid concentration appropri-
ately for the outside temperature. If the concen- tration is inappropriate,
sprayed washer fluid
may freeze on the windshield and obstruct your
view, and the fluid may freeze in the reservoir
tank.
Washer Fluid Concentration Freezing Temperature 30% 10.4 °F (–12 °C)
50% –4 °F (–20 °C)
100% –49 °F (–45 °C)

11 -5 5
Maintenance and service
– CONTINUED –
Replacement of windshield wiper
bladesReplacement
Windshield wiper blades
Grease, wax, insects, or other materials on the wind-
shield or the wiper blade results in jerky wiper opera-
tion and streaking on the glass. If you cannot remove
the streaks after operating the windshield washer or if
the wiper operation is jerky, clean the outer surface of
the windshield (or rear window) and the wiper blades
using a sponge or soft clot h with a neutral detergent or
mild-abrasive cleaner. After cleaning, rinse the wind-
shield and wiper blades with clean water. The wind-
shield is clean if beads do not form when you rinse the
windshield with water.
Do not clean the wiper blades with gasoline or
a solvent, such as paint thinner or benzene.
This will cause deterioration of the wiper
blades.
If you cannot eliminate the streaking even after follow-
ing this method, replace the wiper blades using the fol-
lowing procedures:
1. Raise the wiper arm off the windshield. 1) Stopper
2. Remove the wiper blade assembly by holding its
pivot area and pushing it in the direction shown by the
arrow while depressing the wiper blade stopper.
1
UGB133BB